Author: Jaqueline Raynor

Originally published: May 2005

Read: Feb/March 2025 (and probably in 2005 but I cant remember!)

Context: so back to the new series adventures. The different series, VNA, EDA etc etc are now settling into my memory, the feel of each ‘series’ is pretty different, they ‘feel’ different and I am beginning to become familiar with the differences, the subtleties of each, so returning to each series feels lovely, familiar and comforting. I thought that might be a problem when I started however not at all, beginning to love the differences between them all. In this case, nice to be back with 9 and Rose.

THE REVIEW

What I thought: a very easy read, I got into this quickly and the story, perhaps nothing special, is great fun and the return to the Powell estate is very familiar (I was reading this as the new BF series with 9 and Rose was announced, exciting!). The portrayal of the relationship between the Doctor and Rose is brilliant, and throw Micky and Jackie in and I am back in 2005. The Quervils are a good villain of the week, as is Darren, the orrible bully (spoilers: I quite liked the fact he literally lost his head). Intriguing idea around human avatars, using video games as a means of invasion/waging war etc…if you think about it too hard it maybe doesn’t make too much sense but that never bothers me if its a good, ripping yarn, which this is. Recommended.

What I felt? Lovely return to the 9th doctor adventures, a great story that could easily have been an episode for season 1 of New Who.

Rating: 4 out of 5 Daleks: strong story, entertaining and great portrayal of all the characters, lovely nostalgia activated for that season, makes me wish we lived in a parallel universe where Chris E stayed on for a couple more seasons.

What am I left thinking?

• So this the final book in the first lot of three New Series stories, intrigued and excited to get to the next three.
• I had no memory of reading this in 2005, however I think I owed this one…I wonder why I never got around to reading this one.

Memorable bits

• The porcupines in general, and there silly names
• Rose as an avatar in a game, great concept!
• Mickey was much more capable here, 9 is so mean to him!